RIFF - Rome Independent Film Festival

A quarter-century of independent cinema in Rome

The RIFF – Rome Independent Film Festival is the longest-running Italian event entirely dedicated to independent cinema. Founded in the early 2000s, the festival has become a benchmark for emerging directors, debut works, and auteur productions that struggle to find space in major commercial circuits. In 2026, RIFF reaches its 25th edition, celebrating a quarter-century of discovery and free perspectives on contemporary cinema.

Dates and the city

The event takes place in Rome, in the heart of the Lazio region, from November 27 to December 4, 2026. For eight days, the capital's cinemas host screenings, meetings, and special events, confirming Rome as one of the European capitals of auteur cinema and experimentation. In recent editions, the festival has enlivened historic venues such as the Nuovo Cinema Aquila and the Cinema Farnese, engaging the public and industry professionals in an intense week of viewings.

An international competition

RIFF offers a rich competition divided into numerous national and international sections. The program includes feature films, documentaries, short films, animated films, screenplays, and story treatments, most presented in Italian premiere. The selected works come from over forty countries, offering the Roman public a privileged window into new global cinema trends, far from blockbuster logic.

The (r)evolution AI section

Faithful to its vocation of anticipating changes in audiovisual language, RIFF dedicates a new competitive section, (r)evolution AI, to films and videos created with artificial intelligence technologies. A space designed to explore the creative and ethical frontiers of generative cinema, a theme that has become central to the festival's reflection in recent years.

More than just screenings

Alongside the competitive sections, RIFF hosts masterclasses, meetings with authors, panels, workshops, retrospectives, and musical events. The festival maintains a strong focus on education and dialogue, offering young filmmakers and enthusiasts the opportunity to engage with established professionals of Italian and international cinema. Recent additions also include Climate Future, a micro-festival dedicated to environmental themes told through cinema.

A key event for the Capital

With its twenty-five editions, RIFF represents an important pillar of the cultural offering of the City of Rome and the Lazio Region, capable of intertwining the tradition of auteur cinema with a look at new technologies. A festival that, edition after edition, continues to give voice to creative independence.